


Family and horses

by Rogercat



Series: Modern AU; Himring National Park [4]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Accidents, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Career Ending Injuries, Cousins, Engagement, F/M, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Horses, Police Uniforms, Riding, Siblings, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Uncle-Niece Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-09 11:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19886932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/pseuds/Rogercat
Summary: Life must go on, even after that something serious ends a career in equestrian sports





	1. Life must go on

**Author's Note:**

> In this AU Faramir and Éowyn are the same age, while in LOTR canon he is 15 years older than her

Edoras riding center, roughly six kilometers outside Formenos:

Éomer was helping his cousin Théodred out of the wheelchair over to the bed, and he could hear from the pained breathing how much of a struggle it must be, even with the help of both Éomer and a crutch to keep balance. 

“To think that the fall was bad enough to make you crippled because of how badly your left leg was crushed…” 

That accident had been a living nightmare for the whole family. To see Théodred be so close to winning the World Cup in show jumping, only for his trusted gelding to swerve unexpectedly over the drop fence and losing balance, both horse and riding falling to the side. 

“I am rather crippled than breaking my neck and making father have to bury his only child,” Théodred gasped with sweat on his forehead, feeling how weak he was after needing to spend several months in the hospital to recover from his injuries. It was only now, in early summer, as he finally had been stable enough to get home to their family again. Once he was seated on the bed, Théodred grabbed a water bottle already on the bed table and emptied it. 

“Uncle actually mentioned that he had nightmares about seeing your dead body in a open coffin, especially under the days when no one could tell that you would live or not after falling into that coma for two days because of the head injury despite that you wore the riding helmet, since the accident triggered the memory of how your mother died…”

Théodred understood why Éomer hesitated to say it openly, looking towards a photo with a smiling woman riding bareback. His mother Elfhild had died in a riding accident because she had been a female jockey, and during a race her mare had tripped in very high speed, ending in a fatal fall for both. 

“And that is why father did not want me to become a jockey. Jumping is dangerous, yes, but I have been injured before during training and was aware of the risks. All sports are dangerous, but those involving horses are best left to experts, not beginners.” 

Éomer nodded, bringing an extra blanket rolled together to act as a footrest for Théodred's ruined leg while he took a nap, since his older cousin said that he slept better with his left foot slightly higher than the right.

“And it is not like Edoras will go bankrupt because of your accident, we earn enough money from the breeding mares we own, renting out stable places for the horses the park rangers uses alongside the privately owned horses and ponies, and then we have the guided riding tours around Himring...oh? 

A jeep with the white image of a mountain top and the words  _ Himring National Park _ painted on the side, could be seen arriving on the front yard. 

“Oh. Faramir seems to have a short working day, I would guess. Then again, today my sister would get her uniform as a riding police.” 

“Open my window so I can see it too from the bed, I bet that Éowyn will look dashing for him when she comes, I hear her footsteps in the stairs to your old bedrooms.” 

Grinning, Éomer did so before he left the bedroom. 

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Indeed it was his sister's fiancé who had came. Since he was dressed in his civilian clothes, that must mean a day off work. 

“A good day to you, Faramir. Everything well in Himring?” 

The five years younger man smiled in return at his future brother-in-law. 

“Yes. No silly tourists yet, but that is bound to change soon in the coming weeks. Not what I look forwards to, but my coworkers are already joking about what future court cases that will find their way to Judge Oakenshield after this tourist season.”

Éomer had to laugh. That kind of jokes was a running gag among the locals living in Formenos and around the national park ever since the now famous Thorin Durinsson first had became known as the much feared “Judge Oakenshield” for those who did not use their common sense around the wildlife or something else in the national park. 

“Well, how do you guys think?” 

Éowyn had arrived, showing off the high collared scarlet tunic, midnight blue breeches with yellow leg stripe, a wide leather belt with white sidearm lanyard, oxblood riding boots, a brown felt campaign hat which hid the riding helmet underneath and brown gloves. 

“Now look at that. No one will be able to escape from you when you look like that.” 

Clearly Faramir was proud to see his future wife in a such important social role, since the park rangers at Himring and the police often worked together. 

“I am ready to work and ensure that the law is followed.” 

A softer laugh was heard somewhere, and Théoden showed up in the front door to the house with a camera in his hand. 

“Éomer, be kind and saddle Windfola for your sister. I want to take photos of her out in the pasture when it is a such nice weather today.”

“Wait on me, I want to visit Brego if you shall go to the stables, it is possible! I have not seen him for almost half a year, surely he misses me and wonders where I am,” Théodred called from his window, forgetting all about that he was supposed to take a nap now in order to have energy for the evening. Faramir offered to help Théodred come outside in the wheelchair, while the two siblings followed their uncle to the stable where their own horses was. 

  
  


Indeed Théodred's brown gelding was showing much joy at seeing his owner, even ignoring the offered carrots in favor of smelling Théodred as if making sure that he really had come back. 

“I know, I know, I was gone for a long time, old friend. But I needed to be in the hospital after that awful fall last year.” 

Éomer took a chance to check on his own horse, Firefoot, in the opposite box stall when they were there. It felt good to see Théodred back among the horses, even if he never would be able to ride again thanks to being crippled.


	2. The bonds of family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A unwanted phone call can sometimes ruin the mood

None of the siblings or Faramir had been surprised at Théoden give them the task of bringing Théodred to the hospital for a check-up on his ruined leg. Théoden himself had a important meeting with another horse breeder that wished to have his stallion get their mares with foal to next summer, so it was only natural that they got the task. 

Besides, Théodred was not sure of whatever he still could drive a car with one leg not working, if he needed to slam the brakes for an elk or a deer that was on the road, there was a serious risk that he could face another accident. 

~X~X~X~X~X~X

Anyway, soon they had left Edoras riding center and was on the way. 

“Aunt Théodwyn sent a get-well card to me and a letter for the two of you this morning.” 

Éomer looked over the letter from his mother. She and her husband Éomund promised to return home within two weeks, they had found some suitable draft horses to buy and intend to use in the family riding center for riding tours. 

“Nice to hear that they found some good draft horses, I think those will likely be used in the next advertising for what to do for tourists here. Besides, it never hurts to have a set of horses which is bred for heavy work...” 

Faramir's cell phone was ringing, and Éowyn held it up to his ear from where she said in the backset behind her fiancé, since he did not like to drive with only one hand on the wheel while talking in the phone. 

“Yes? Oh, hello Boromir, have you gotten permission to leave from your commander in the Gondor troops so you can arrive for our wedding this autumn, I know that you want to be present…” 

The he heard what his older brother said in the other end of the line. Éowyn could tell from how he tensed up, that Faramir did not like what he heard. 

“Father have gotten himself stranded in a hospital for the mentally ill, after making a big scene at a public place?” 

The siblings and their cousin listened under a tense silence. Faramir never talked much about it, but they knew that his family had fallen apart after that worried neighbors had alerted the police about how Denethor had fallen to the temptation of the bottle after the death of his wife Finduilas in cancer.

Boromir had already been a adult by being five years older, but the family court had explained that even if he had listed up for the army not long before the arrest of their father, he could not supply his little brother and pay for Faramir's future education without a permanent job and would also be away for weeks, even months, under the training as a military cadet. So Faramir had entered the foster care system for five years, keeping in contact with Boromir though written letters and meeting whatever they could before he had gotten his current work as a park ranger. 

“Well, given that Father ended up with a restraining order by the court in order to not be able to find the two of us so easily….what? Really? I know that our family have a long history of being in the military, but surely he can not have made a such scene about me becoming a  _ park ranger _ and about to marry a local girl here instead of a lady from the old military families? Those news are nearly a year old, and nowadays people are more free to choose a work on their own terms instead of following in the family footsteps...” 

That made Éowyn remove the cell phone from Faramir's ear and instead spoke herself: 

“ **_Boromir, if you ever meet that lunatic who sired both of you again, please tell him that I am a legal police officer now after finishing my education this spring and will not hesitate to arrest him for breaking against that restraining order and for possible threats if he ever comes close to Faramir again._ ** ” 

She was very protective of Faramir ever since their dating had become serious, and really did not like her future father-in-law after a truly disastrous meeting last summer where Faramir had been brave enough to tell Denethor that he had proposed to her. She liked Boromir, yes, but their estranged father was a whole different story. 

“I am glad that he lives in the the other end of the country, since I doubt that aunt, uncle and father would be happy to meet him face to face,” Théodred spoke, having not said anything until now. 

“Oh believe me, I think it would end in a fist fight and another restraining order for that damned old man.” 

Faramir said nothing, thinking of how Boromir had mentioned that their father had been unemployed for the past ten years since that arrest for making threatening movements a then 13-year-old Faramir in public. The six months in prisons for child neglect of both his sons, a general unpleasant attitude since the death of his wife and still having a drinking problem, did not help. 

In fact, Denethor had lost the house after failing to pay for unpaid debts related to his unemployment and that was after that he had already sold pretty much everything else that could be sold to pay off the medicinal bills for Finduilas' expensive cancer treatment, like family heirlooms that have been in the family for generations, only to find out that it had all been in vain as his wife lost her life to the cancer despite all the work from the doctors. 

No doubt that the loss of his home inherited from his ancestors, his direct family and everything he once had been so proud off yet refusing any offered help due to his own pride, had caused his own mental health to collapse over the years. And the military did not want Denethor back after falling from grace in a such manner. 

Finally Éomer said: 

“....shall we ask the doctors if Théodred might be able to start driving horse and carriage once he should be as healed as he can be? Sure, he can't ride anymore, but if someone sits at him while driving the horse?” 

That was a good idea, the other three adults in the car agreed. Their mood also significantly improved when Théoden called his niece with the news that Théodwyn and Éomund would come home in ten days with the new horses to Edoras riding center. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU the House of Húrin / the Stewards of Gondor in canon, is meant to be a old military family, tied to the army for generations. Boromir is following the family tradition, but Faramir chose to be a park ranger in Himring National Park instead after living in Formenos as a foster child during the last years of high school and finding out that he loved the national park 
> 
> Finduilas died from cancer when Faramir was 12 years, after battling it for about three years. Her illness and death made Denethor a shadow of his former self, becoming a very unpleasant person over the years and neither one of his sons want any contact with him as adults unless it is for an important reason such as telling him of a future daughter-in-law as Faramir did the previous summer.

**Author's Note:**

> Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping", "open jumping", or simply "jumping", is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. 
> 
> A drop fence is when the horse jumps over a log fence and land at a lower level than the one at which they took off. Many riders have fallen badly on drop fences if the horse swerves unexpectedly, which is what happened to Théodred
> 
> In LOTR canon Théoden lost his wife Elfhild in childbirth when Théodred was born, but with modern medicine and trained hospital staff, that seemed to be pretty unlikely to happen, so I changed her death to happen a couple of years later
> 
> A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession
> 
> Éowyn's uniform as a mounted police is inspired by Royal Canadian Mounted Police


End file.
